Saturday - A very busy day

A lie-in this morning, followed by a trip to the beach.Even at 8.30 a.m. the beach was busy - later in the day the sun gets very hot and people tend to hide inside. The sea is turquoise, warm and very salty and there were a few waves today. There were small fish clearly visible using goggles. We had a good splash and a swim, leaving as it started to get really hot.


After breakfast we set out to take a trip on Dubai's brand new and very smart metro system. Some stations have still not opened so there are a limited number of places to go to. We opted for the Mall of the Emirates, about five stations north. The whole system is very clean and air conditioned, a big plus in the climate. The trains are driverless and from the end coach you get brilliant views along the elevated trackway in the southern part of the city.

We just had time for a quick mezze lunch in the flat before heading off to the Wildlife
reserve where we spent some time watching the birds. Once again the flamingos had opted to group themselves on the far side of the reserve but there were some interesting herons and waders to watch on our side of the creek. It is odd to shift the focus from the birds to the vast new buildings going up all around. One of these is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world (2,717 feet).


Our next destination was very close to the base of this tower. The Dubai Mall is even bigger and more splendid than the Mall of the Emirates, incorporating an aquarium and a massive waterfall. We strolled around taking these in on our way to the man-made lake between the Mall and the Burj Khalifa where spectacular fountains are activated at regular intervals. There was a bit of cloud cover developing by now and a gentle breeze so it was quite pleasant standing by the lake to watch the show.

We were so impressed that we stayed to watch the next show before dashing home for a quick shower, change and cocktail before heading out to a nearby restaurant for supper. Rosena got totally glammed up in the posh outfit. Dave was such a scruff that the staff tried to hide him behind the cruet.